Giving Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes in Confusion, Anxiety, and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy From Pregnancy to Six-Weeks Postpartum

OBJECTIVES: To assess differences in the level of anxiety, confusion, and changes in the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy from pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum among a sample of persons who gave birth from 2020–2021. METHODS: A sample of 180 persons, representing 44 states and 4 US territories, were recruited via social media advertisements to first take a 78-item web-based survey between May and December of 2020. Participants were contacted again at 6 weeks postpartum to complete a follow-up survey assessing the same variables as survey one. The surveys assessed breastfeeding self-efficacy using the valid PREP to BF scale, breastfeeding intention (and subsequent actual feeding method), anxiety surrounding having a newborn during COVID-19, and confusion with WHO and CDC COVID-19 breastfeeding recommendations. RESULTS: The sample, mean age 30.2 years, maintained a relatively high PREP to BF score at 6-weeks postpartum (pre = 309.27 ± 56.74; post = 305.57 ± 63.40). Over 95% intended to include breastmilk in some way and at 6-weeks postpartum, 95.2% were either exclusively breastfeeding or combination feeding. The sample experienced a significant decrease in confusion (p ≤ .001) with safe breastfeeding information and a significant decrease in anxiety with managing a newborn baby whilst the pandemic still occurring at high rates in the US (p ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: This sample was able to maintain their planned infant feeding decisions while maintaining a high breastfeeding self-efficacy score despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing in the US. The increasing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine may have helped to ease anxiety among new mothers. Prenatal healthcare teams should continue to work with pregnant persons to ensure they are informed of the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 to have a safe pregnancy and birth experience. FUNDING SOURCES: This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, Hatch project LAB94426.